Eight hundred and ninety pieces. That’s how many individual works of art are aboard the Europa 2, the three-year-old luxury ship from German company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. It’s a staggering amount of paintings, prints, and sculptures from artists old and new, and a collection totaling many millions. But despite the strong display, this isn’t necessarily an art-themed cruise, nor do you need an avant-garde pedigree to enjoy this ship. Picture this: while you cruise the Maya Riviera—or sail through the tropical waters of Southeast Asia, or around the horn of Africa—you’ll be doing so on what’s essentially a floating gallery.

Work by big names including David Hockney, Damien Hirst, and Ólafur Elíasson, plus a catalogue of international up-and-comers, makes this the most expensive—and possibly only—major maritime collection. Paintings and sculptures dot every inch of the vessel: seven restaurants, 251 staterooms, even a spacious and dedicated gallery space covering about 538 square feet. You might dine on lobster tail or filet mignon in the Paris-inspired Tarragon Restaurant, under Art Deco-like paintings by Marie Godest; or tiptoe down a hallway, passing the conceptual figures of Ottmar Hörl, four identical blue men, turned in different directions, holding binoculars up to their eyes and gazing out at the sea. If you're lucky, you may even sleep under Hirst’s colorful ten-print butterfly collection, The Souls.

But why invest so much onboard? “Art for us is entertainment,” says Julian Pfitzner, the ship’s director of product management.

Courtesy Hapag-Lloyd

On board, walking down a hallway means you might come face-to-face with works by Ólafur Elíasson and Damien Hirst.

It took almost two years to select and assemble the collection, with a team of designers, architects, and curators integrating it for a May 2013 debut. The collection doesn’t include any title cards—as an attempt to blend with the ship itself, it’s art beyond decoration, Pfitzner says. Of the nearly 900 works, some are originals crafted specially for an onboard location, others are lithographs of limited number. Without labels accompanying the work, Hapag-Lloyd is hoping that guests will encounter pieces honestly, without preconceived ideas about the artist.

“It’s fair to say everything on board is constantly on offer," says Pfitzner. "But it’s more a sailing art exhibition,” he says, rather than an auction or marketing ploy. The Europa 2 has a dedicated gallerist, and depending on which cruise you choose, you can enjoy art walks and tours. (At times, Pfitzner says, the artists themselves sail, "to talk to the guests.") See something you really like? If pieces are sold, they will be replaced, and the permanent collection is subject to updates about every three years. And what about, if you, say, damage a piece? There’s insurance, so rest easy.